Student appointed to AMA education committee

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine student Jake DeVolder has been appointed the American Medical Association (AMA) student member of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Jake DeVolder

DeVolder is the first student from Vanderbilt chosen to serve on the committee, which is the accreditation body for medical education programs leading to a medical degree.

“This speaks to Jake’s own exceptional strengths. We are very excited that he has this opportunity and we know that he will represent Vanderbilt well,” said Bonnie Miller, M.D., senior associate dean for Health Sciences Education at VUSM.

Members of the LCME include medical educators and administrators, practicing physicians and medical students.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the AMA both appoint one student member.

For DeVolder, the appointment capitalizes on his career aspirations of being involved in medical education. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education at Peabody and will graduate from the School of Medicine in 2015.

“I knew that I wanted to teach and wanted to learn more about the theory and practical skills that that entails,” he said.

“There are a lot of good things about the American medical education system, but there is always room for improvement, especially in this dynamic time created by initiatives in health care reform and quality improvement.”

His one-year term, which begins July 1, will allow him to accompany an accreditation team during a site visit to one of the 134 medical schools as well as review reports submitted by those institutions up for review.

“Jake is clearly dedicated to medical education,” said Kim Lomis, M.D., associate dean for Undergraduate Medical Education. “He will learn a great deal about the challenges that schools face and he will have the opportunity to interact with leaders in the field from across the country. As he interacts with those leaders, he will represent both our student body and our curricular innovations well.”

DeVolder, elected by his peers to the Student Curricular Committee in 2012, served as a representative to the Standing Assessment Committee and Personal Learning Plan Committee at the School of Medicine.

He was also one of the course directors for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy’s “Med School 101” program for area high school juniors and seniors.